Brake beam, head and guide structure



Oct. 3, 1950 R. B. COTTRELL BRAKE BEAM, HEAD AND GUIDE STRUCTURE Filed June 21, 1947 I I INVENTOR ROBERT B. COTTRELL ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 3, 1950 BRAKE BEAM, HEAD AND GUIDE STRUCTURE Robert B. Gottrell, Chicago, Ill., assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, 111., a corpora- 4 tion of New Jersey Application June 21, 1947, Serial No. 756,272

(01. Isa-223.1)

13 Claims. 1

This invention relates to brake beams and more particularly to a novel fabricated truss type railway brake beam. I

A general object of the invention is to design a novel beam of the above-described type which may be economically provided with a wear plate at each end thereof adapted to support the beam from an associated truck frame bracketin what is commonly known as Unit beam suspension.

Another object of the invention is to design a novel fabricated railway brake beam such as above described wherein the brake head and associated wear plate are removably connected to each other and to the associated truss structure, as by rivets A more specific objectv of the invention is to provide a novel support for the wear plate by means of an extension on the associated brake beam truss structure extending into a socket formed in the hollow guide lug or projection which is adapted to afford a guiding support for the beam. The present invention is an improvement overthat disclosed in a copending application, Serial No. 741,027, filed April 12, 1947, in the name of Carl E. 'Tack, said copending application disclosing an arrangement wherein the brake head. alone is provided with a reinforcing extensionprojecting into the socket of the wear plate guide lug.

The invention comprehends a novel brake head with communicating internal sockets adapted toreceive the tension and compression members of the brake beam truss structure to which the head is secured.

The novel brake head .is also provided with a rearwardly extending outboard wall spaced inboardly from the outboard face of the brake head to define a recess adapted to accommodate the associated wear plate.

- The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification andthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

.-Figure ,1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a truss type railway brake beam embodying the invention, only one end of the beam being shown inasmuch as the beam is symmetrical about its transverse center line;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is .an end view of the structure shown in Figure 1; A V

Figure 4 is a, fragmentary sectional ;view of the structure taken substantially on line 4-4 of if er llifin V. a.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the structure taken on line 55 of Figure 1.

Describing the invention in detail, the novel brake beam comprises tension and compression members 2 and 4 adapted for connection in the usual manner at the transverse center line of the beam by a strut (not shown) affording connection to associated actuating means, such as a brake lever (not shown). The compression member is of U or channel-section and comprises top and bottom webs 6 and 8 intercon nected by a front web IIJ slotted as at l2 (Figures 1 and 3) to receive the bent outboard extremity 14 of the tension member 2, said extremity being welded within the slot to define one end of a .bi-laterally symmetrical truss struc- .ture.

A brake head generally designated i6 is connected to each end of the truss structure and comprises a front wall l8 adapted to support associated brake shoe means (not shown) in the conventional manner. The front wall I8 is connected to laterally spaced inboard and outboard side walls 20 and 22 extending rearwardly from the wall IS, the outboard wall' 22 being disposed inboardly of the outboard surface of the wall 18 to define a recess 24 (Figure 1) for a purpose hereinafter described; The lateral walls 2i and 22 are interconnected by a transverse rear wall 26 with an arcuate segment or portion 23 defining a socket for the reception of the extremity [4 of the tension member 2. The segment 28 is connected to the front wall l8 by a reinforcing rib 30.

The rear wall 26 affords a seat for the front web ill of the compression member 4 which also abuts top and bottom brake head walls 32 and 34 merging with the wall 26 and, extending rearwardly therefrom to define a channel or socket .inboardly of the brake head wall 22, said chan within a hollow projection or, lug as on the outboard face of a wear plate 46 removably secured as by rivets 48 to a complementary fiat seat on the outboard face of the wall 22 within the re" cess 24 so that the outboard surface of the plate 46, as best seen in Figures 1 and 2, is substantially coplanar with the outboard edge of the brake head wall H3. The bent extremity M of the tension member extends through complementary openings in the brake head wall 22 and the wear plate 46 into the socket 42 thereby affording additional reinforcement for the lug 44; and it may be noted that the outboard extremity of the bent portion M of the tension member is provided with a flattened portion 41 having the same depth as that of the lugs 38 thereby affording a snug fit within the socket 42.

The projection 44 is adapted for reception within a complementary bracket (not shown) of an associated truck frame to afford a guidable support for the beam in a manner well known to those skilled in the art, and it may be noted that the socket 42 extends outboardly of the lugs 38 and the outboard extremity of the tension member to afford a convenient receptacle for foreign matter accidentally collected Within the truck bracket, thereby preventing entrapment of such matter between the guide lug 44 and a portion of the bracket. It will be understood that if desired this feature ma be eliminated by providing lugs 38 and a tension member of sufficient length to fill the socket 42 to the outboard extremity thereof, thereby affording additional reinforcement for the lug t4.

It may be noted that the above-described arrangement is particularly useful in a fabricated type beam wherein it is desirable to use a malleable iron brake head with a steel truss structure and a steel wear plate 46 which is sufficiently hard to afford durable wearing surfaces on the top and bottom of the lug 44; however, the various parts of the beam may be constructed of any desired materials.

The rear brake head wall 26 extends upwardly from the wall 32 and downwardly from the wall 34 to merge with the outboard wall 22 and is thus tapered inboardly, as best seen in Figure 2, to

merge with top and bottom gussets 52 and 54 formed on the respective walls 32 and 34 as inboard continuations of the tapered wall 26 inboardly of the brake head wall 20. This arrangement provides an extremely compact and sturd brake head wherein the above-mentioned sockets for the tension and compression members 2 and 4 afford rigidity for the outboard extremity of the truss structure defined thereby.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiment of the device shown which is merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit Of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a railway brake beam, a U-section compression member with a front web and spaced webs extending rearwardl therefrom, a tension member having its extremity secured within a complementary slot in said front web, a brake head comprising front and rear walls and inboard and outboard walls connected thereto, said rear wall having, an arcuate portion defining a socket receiving said extremity, top and bottom walls extending rearwardly from said rear wall and defining therewith a cavit receiving said compression member, wear plate secured to the outboard side of said outboard walland having an outboard lug adapted to afford a support for the beam, and a socket in said lug receiving a portion of one of said members extending through a complementary opening in said outboard wall.

2. In a railway brake beam, a U-section compression member with a front web and spaced webs extending rearwardly therefrom, a tension member having its extremity secured within a complementary slot in said front web, a brake head comprising front and rear walls and inboard and outboard walls connected thereto, said rear wall having an arcuate portion defining a socket receiving said extremity, top and bottom walls extending rearwardly from said rear wall and defining therewith a cavity receiving said compression member, a wear plate secured to the outboard side of said outboard wall and having an outboard lug adapted to afford a support for the beam, and a socket in said lug receiving a portion of one of said members extending through a complementar opening in said outboard wall, and spaced lugs on said head at opposite sides of said portion extending into said last-mentioned socket.

3. In a railway brake beam, a brake head, a wear plate removably secured to the outboard side thereof, said plate having a hollow outboard guide lug, and a truss structure including tension and compression members secured to said head, a portion of said structure extending through said head into said lug to reinforce the latter.

4. In a railway brake beam, a brake head, a wear plate removably secured to the outboard side thereof, said plate having a hollow outboard guide lug, and a truss structure including tension and compression members secured to said head, a portion of said structure extending through said head into said lug to reinforce the latter, said head having spaced members fitted into said lug at opposite sides of said portion.

5. In a railway brake beam, a brake head, a wear plate removably secured to the outboard side thereof, said plate having a hollow outboard guide lug, and a truss structure including tension and compression members secured to said head, a portion of said structure extending through said head into said lug to reinforce the latter, said head having a portion extending into said lug to afford additional reinforcement therefor.

6. A railway brake beam comprising a truss structure including tension and compression members, a brake head member secured to said structure, and a wear plate secured to the outboard side of said head member and including a hollow support lug extending outboardly therefrom, two of said members having portions snugly fitted within said lug.

7. A railway brake beam comprising a'truss structure including tension and compression members, a brake head secured to said structure, an element connected to the outboard side of said head and-including a hollow support lug extending outboardly therefrom, and reinforcing means on said head for aid lug, said reinforcing means and one of said members extending into said lug. 1 V 8. A brake head for a railway brake beam comprising a front wall adapted to support associated, brake shoe means, inboard and outboard walls projecting rearwardly from said front wall, arear wall connected to the rear end of said in- .board wall and connected to said outboard wall,

a web interconnecting all of said walls, top and bottom webs connected to said outboard Wall and to the rear wall and extending rearwardly of the latter to define a socket therewith for an associated brake beam part, and spaced lugs on said outboard wall projecting outboardly therefrom at opposite sides of an openin in said outboard wall, the space between said lugs and said opening being adapted to accommodate an associated brake beam part. I

9. A brake head for a railway brake beam comprising a socket for an associated brake beam part, a wall closing the outboard end of said socket, a lug on said wall extending outboardly therefrom, said wall having an opening at one side of said lug and communicating with said socket for accommodating an associated brake beam part therethrough.

10. A railway brake beam comprising a truss structure, including interconnected tension and compression members, a brake head connected to said structure, an element connected to said head and having a portion for supporting said beam from an associated support structure, said portion being sleeved onto an end of said tension member, and rigid means on said head extending into said portion and cooperating with said end of said tension member for reinforcing said lug.

11. A railway brake beam comprising a truss structure, a brake head connected to said structure, an element connected to said head and having a portion for supporting said beam from an associated support structure, and means on said head and said structure extending into said portion for reinforcing the latter.

12. A brake head assembly comprising a brake head with a front web, an outboard wall angularly related thereto, spaced top and bottom webs connected to the inboard side of the wall and in partdefining a socket for an associated brake beam, a wear plate secured to the outboard face of said wall, a hollow guide lug on said plate projecting outboardly of said wall, spaced projections on said wall extending into said guide lug, the space Within said guide lug between said projections communicating with said socket through an opening in said wall and bein adapted to receive an associated brake beam part.

13. A railway brake beam comprising truss members forming a brake beam structure, a brake head member connected to said structure, an element secured to one of said members and having a lug adapted to support said beam from an associated support structure, two of said members having portions extending into said lug for The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Parke May 2, 1944 Number 

